106. Mastering the Art of Effective Client Communication and Dealing with Ghosting with Carolyn Kulb
In the world of business, effective client communication plays a pivotal role in building trust, nurturing relationships, and securing deals. Carolyn Kulb, a seasoned wedding and event florist, shares her insights on how to master the art of communication, automate your processes, and deal with the frustrating phenomenon known as “ghosting” in this enlightening conversation.
Carolyn Kulb helps wedding pros stop getting ghosted by designing a Gentle Sales System that treats every potential client with warmth and compassion from the very beginning, building the trust that is necessary before clients can book you for their wedding. Carolyn is also the founder and CEO of Bloom Poet—a full-service wedding florist and event design company based in Seattle, Washington.
Carolyn’s work has been featured in national publications such as Flower Magazine, Aisle Society, Well Wedded Magazine, Trends Magazine, Slow Flowers Journal, and Houzz.com. She has been invited to design and teach at the Book More Weddings Summit, the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, and American Flowers Week, and has appeared on podcasts like Talk with Renee Dalo, the Slow Flowers Podcast, and the Evolve Your Wedding Business Podcast.
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Part 1: Building Trust Through Communication In the first part of our discussion, Carolyn emphasizes the importance of building trust with clients. She highlights the need to invest time in nurturing relationships, emphasizing that trust doesn’t develop overnight. Some key strategies she suggests include:
- Consistent Follow-Ups: Regularly follow up with potential clients over an extended period. This shows your commitment to establishing a lasting relationship and can help in an industry where decisions often take time.
- Leveraging Social Proof: Share your portfolio, past work, testimonials, and connections with other vendors to build trust. Demonstrating that others vouch for your reliability and quality is a powerful way to gain trust.
- Human-Centric Approach: Treat your interactions as relationships rather than transactions. Carolyn underlines the significance of being open about your personality, your story, and your passion for your work.
Part 2: The Art of Automating Client Communication In this section, Carolyn delves into the process of automating client communication to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. She shares her personal experience, having automated most of her communication, making it more manageable and less time-consuming. Key takeaways include:
- Automating Initial Touchpoints: Send welcome emails, pricing guides, and resources to potential clients as soon as they inquire.
- Resource Sharing: Share valuable resources that benefit clients, regardless of whether they choose to work with you. Carolyn believes in helping clients succeed, even if it means referring them to other vendors.
- Maintain Personalization: While automating most of the process, maintain a personal touch by sending a brief introductory video message. Carolyn believes this step is well worth the time invested.
Part 3: Dealing with Ghosting The final part of our conversation addresses the perplexing issue of ghosting, where potential clients suddenly stop responding. Carolyn provides invaluable advice on managing ghosting effectively:
- Keep Following Up: Don’t be discouraged by a lack of initial responses. Many factors can lead to a delayed response. Regular follow-ups may eventually yield a positive outcome.
- Manage Expectations: Understand that ghosting is part of the process and avoid taking it personally. It’s often about external factors rather than your capabilities.
- Segmentation and Automation: Implement systems that automatically manage inquiries from less-engaged leads, allowing you to invest more time in promising prospects.
- Align Marketing with Ideal Clients: Ensure that your marketing efforts are targeted toward your ideal clients. Tailor your message, portfolio, and online presence to attract the type of clients you want.
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Ending
Carolyn Kulb’s insights offer a comprehensive guide to effective client communication and address the common issue of ghosting in the wedding and event industry. By focusing on building trust, automating your communication, and managing ghosting professionally, you can navigate these challenges with grace and improve your business’s efficiency and effectiveness.
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Ingvild Kolnes is the host of the Sustainable Photography Podcast, an educator for photographers, and is ready to help you with your photography business.
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This podcast is all about education and inspiration for photographers. A sustainable business is profitable and lasting. Instead of short-term wins you want to make sure you’re doing things that matter. Both to yourself, and to create the business you want. The goal of this podcast is that it will help you build and structure your business around your life, instead of the other way around.
